Since 1980, the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) has lost more than $1.7 billion on timber sales in the Tongass National Forest, according to a new report by Taxpayers for Common Sense.
“It actually costs taxpayers millions to ‘sell’ timber that we collectively own, which makes no sense,” said Autumn Hanna, vice president of Taxpayers for Common Sense. “Rolling back the roadless rule will put the losses from a clearly broken timber sale program on steroids.”
“Opening up new areas to timber simply saddles taxpayers with even more construction and maintenance costs and piles onto the Forest Service’s existing $3 billion maintenance backlog,” continued Hanna.